Shift

Olive keeps it simple: take her meds, keep a low profile at school, stay away from the ocean (with its horrible memories), and try not to cause trouble since she’s pretty sure her selfish, unruly behavior is what made her father take off six months ago. But then strange and mysterious Miranda Vaile shows up at her high school, and Olive’s safeguards start to crumble. Miranda begins insinuating herself into the life of Olive’s former best friend, Katie, but only Olive and Lachlan, the handsome new guy in town, think anything is odd. Bailey builds her first YA novel with precision, drawing readers into a complicated world where things are not at all what they seem. In a story that is as much about friendship and redemption as it is about second-guessing reality, Bailey creates characters that have depth and authenticity. As Olive’s nemesis, Miranda is as creepy as they come, and readers will wonder to the very end what to make of her shifting personalities. Olive’s story comes to a satisfying conclusion, one that will be hard to forget. Ages 12–up. (May)